A New Direction
by Trence Vask Zephyr
Summary: Naruto's story has changed some what; he still resides in the Leaf Village, he still dreams of being Hokage, and he still holds the Kyubi inside of him. But many other things about Naruto are going to be different. Multiple couples, good Akatsuki.
1. Prologue

**Naruto: A New Direction**

DISCLAIMER: The following piece is a fan fiction. Many of the characters, settings, and techniques in this fan fiction are based off the manga of Naruto created by Masashi Kishimoto. I claim no credit for the majority of characters, places, and/or techniques that already exist in the world of Naruto. This is the story of Naruto told in a different way.

_**Volume 1: Leaf Buds Arc**_

**Prologue**

The sun was shining brilliantly in the sky as it cast its rays down upon the land. It was peaceful spring day, a perfect day to mark a momentous occasion in a special village. This village was different from others because it did not just house civilians; it was also a village of ninja from various families and clans. This particular village was located in a place called the Land of Fire, the largest country in the eastern lands; this village was known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves and, just like the Land of Fire, it too was the largest ninja village in the eastern lands. It was true there were other ninja villages—some were just as old as the Hidden Leaf while others were more recent.

The Hidden Leaf Village had stood as the main military strength for the Land of Fire, but it also stood for many other things—including a harbinger of peace. Over the last few decades, a war had been waging between the ninja villages with no end in sight. The war had been building up because of rumors spreading amongst the villages and all it took for the war to finally break out was a single incident. The war—now referred to as the Great Shadow War—claimed the lives of many innocent souls, both ninja and civilian alike. But then, everything changed when a group of Hidden Leaf Ninjas discovered the true perpetrators of the war: the Ronin, the wandering ninja. After the Ronin were exposed, the villages stopped fighting amongst themselves and worked together to weed out the enemy, which had infiltrated the ninja villages. It wasn't long before the Ronin disappeared into the shadows and were never heard from again. The war had finally come to an end. Since then, all the nations, great and small, enjoyed an era of peace that they hoped would last a long time.

The Hidden Leaf Village was bustling with life; the people of the village, both civilian and ninja alike, were pouring out into the streets for today was a magnificent day. It was the day that the previous Hokage would step down and a new Hokage would step forth to lead the village. Everyone was very excited, for the new Hokage was a person who was loved by all the people. This man, who had earned the title of Hokage, had strived down a very difficult road and had faced many great trials including losing some of his dear friends. This man was a legend not just within the Leaf Village, but also throughout the various countries for he was the biggest contributor to ending the Great Shinobi. This man had many aliases; the most famous of these was "The Yellow Flash of the Leaf."

It was roughly midday as the entire village gathered around the Hokage tower. It was a large, round building with a crown-like structure on the roof; on the front was the kanji for fire to symbolize the Leaf Village's allegiance with the Land of Fire. On top of the roof, the crowd could see several other people standing off to either side; they recognized the people instantly. The two on the left were the village elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane; Homura was an old, grizzled man who wore thick-rimmed glasses and had graying hair combed straight back while Koharu was an elderly woman with squinty eyes, wrinkled features and graying hair that was tied in a bun in the back. Despite their age, Homura and Koharu had served as advisors to the Hidden Leaf Village for several years now; they had earned the trust and respect of all the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village.

There was another group of people who stood on the opposite side of the elders—three men and one woman. One of these people was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the Leaf Village. Hiruzen was an elderly man about the same age as Koharu and Homura with a slight receding hairline and brown eyes; he wore a long white cloak with the kanji for Hokage on the back. Hiruzen had become Hokage at a very young age, making others worry he was not ready to perform such a great task. But time and time again, he proved to have the skill and prowess needed to protect the village as well as the clarity and level-headed thinking to make the right decisions; these skills are what earned him the his other title, "The Professor." Right next to Hiruzen was a young-looking woman with dark brown eyes and bright yellow hair tied into ponytails behind her head. Her name was Tsunade, the Fourth Hokage. Tsunade had served as the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village since the middle of the Great Shadow War; it was thanks to her that almost every ninja team had a medic ninja and a medical academy was set up right next to the original ninja academy. Tsunade had truly been a beacon of hope for the people of the Leaf through the Great Shadow War.

There were two others right behind Tsunade, patiently waiting for the new Hokage. One was a man with long, spiky white hair tied into one long ponytail. He wore a special headband that had two horns protruding from it with the kanji symbol for "Oil" imprinted on the front. He also wore a red hakama (Japanese jacket) with the kanji for "Toad" imprinted on the back. His name was Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sage and Tsunade's husband. Standing next of Jiraiya was a man with short black that hung around his face, covering his eyes; he had pale skin and a long jacket with sleeves that had the kanji for serpent on the back and a sword with a snakehead-shaped hilt. His name was Yashagoro, the legendary Serpent Master as well as Jiraiya's and Tsunade's old teammate and best friend. As she looked back at the two of them, she couldn't help but smile at seeing her old team together again; it made her feel nostalgic.

Suddenly, the voices of all the people dropped to subtle whispers. The new Hokage had appeared; the two groups on top of the tower turned their heads to watch as their new leader stepped forward. This man had spiky blonde hair with two long bangs hanging on either side of his face; he had clear blue eyes that shined in the morning light; he had a smile that could put anyone at ease. This man wore a dark green Leaf Village flak jacket with the usual dark blue ninja shirt and pants; he also wore a long white coat over himself—it had flames along the rim and kanji on the back that stood for the virtue, wisdom, compassion, and strength. As he drew closer, he got mixed expressions from both groups on either side of him. To his left, he could Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya's faces all brimming with pride—Orochimato usually kept his face blank, but he let a small smile creep onto it this time. To his right, however, he could see a sour look on the faces of Homura and Koharu, most likely because they had doubts about the new Hokage especially since he was the youngest Hokage since Hiruzen. But the man did not let this bother him, he just continued to walk forward until at last he stood at the brink of the tower, looking over the tower.

A hush fell over the crowd and Homura knew it his time to do his duty. He stepped forward, stood next the new Hokage, looked out to the crowd, and cleared his throat, "Ahem…All hail Minato Namikaze! All hail the Fifth Hokage!" To which the crowd immediately responded with cheering and applause…

* * *

Later that night, the Hokage tower was brightly lit; a celebration was being held for the new Hokage. Inside the tower, people were enjoying themselves, talking amongst themselves of old times and fond memories as well as enjoying the food and drink provided for the party. The guests mainly consisted of ninja who knew the Fifth Hokage well; but there was one person at the party who was not partaking in any of the festivities. It was a woman with long red hair that hung down to her stomach and dark brown eyes; she wore an orange shirt underneath a long black dress that hung loosely around her. This woman's name was Kushina Uzumaki, soon to be known as Kushina Namikaze, the wife of the Fifth Hokage. It was so hard for Kushina to believe that at long last, she and Minato would finally be bound in holy matrimony; they would no longer have to keep their relationship hidden in the shadows, away from the prying eyes of the elders and other certain individuals.

As Kushina walked around the room, she received various stares from the party guests; some of them were mainly admiring how much of a beauty Kushina had become, but what really grabbed people's attention was Kushina's bulging tummy. Kushina was pregnant with Minato's child; some people in the room already knew of Kushina's pregnancy, but it came as a real shock to the rest village, particularly the female population who felt crestfallen after discovering Minato was taken. As she walked around the room, Kushina was trying to be careful where she walked, placing a protective hand over her belly as if to make sure nothing would happen to her unborn child. She was looking for Minato, her soon-to-be official husband, but couldn't find him anywhere; she had already asked Jiraiya, but he had no idea where his old student could be. As Kushina scanned the room, looking for Minato's trademark spiky yellow hair, she spotted three individuals off to the side whom she instantly recognized.

One was a young boy with long, spiky silver hair who wore a mask that covered the entire lower half of his face from his nose to underneath his chin. He was wearing a blue ninja outfit with steel shoulder and shin guards. Next to him were a boy and girl; the boy had short, spiky black hair, wore a pair of goggles and had a shirt with the symbol of a fan on the back while the girl had short brown hair and two purple lines on her cheeks. These three young ninja made up Minato's old team; if anyone would know where Minato was, they certainly would. As Kushina approached the trio, she made sure to watch very carefully where she walked, making sure not to bump into anything. As she drew closer, the boy with the silver hair was the first to see her.

"Ah, Lady Kushina, nice of you to join us this evening," the silver-haired boy said.

"Stop it, Kakashi," Kushina said with a little giggle, "you don't have to call me 'Lady' anything, it's just Kushina, okay?"

"Heh, sorry, it's an old habit," Kakashi said as he rubbed the back of his head, "but seriously, how are you doing this evening? I must admit, I'm a little surprised to see you here."

"I'll say," the dark-haired boy said, "I didn't think you would come, considering what you're, um, ahem, carrying…"

Kushina giggled. "Thank you, Obito, but I'm fine. Besides, I wanted to be here for Minato on his big day. It's not often that your husband becomes the newest Hokage."

"That is a pretty big deal," the young brown-haired girl said, "so tell us, Kushina, how far along are you?"

"Aren't you the medical ninja Rin?" Kushina asked. "Can't you tell just by looking at me?"

"Hehe, well I may be a medical ninja, but I'm nowhere near the level of Lady Tsunade," Rin said with a slight blush on her face, "I still have a lot to learn."

"That's not true, Rin," Obito said as he put his arm around her, "I think you're an amazing medical ninja already."

"Oh, stop it, Obito, you're making me blush," Rin said.

Kushina couldn't help but reminisce upon seeing Minato's old team; she remembered how they used be. Kakashi Hatake used to only care about following the rules and completing the mission no matter what the costs, even if it meant risking the lives of his team. He used to be so serious and showed so little emotions; it almost seemed like he was empty inside. But now, he was a much different person; he actually smiled every now and then, although no one could see it because of his mask. He was also more relaxed, often times showing up late to meet the team. He had also come to care more for his teammates than he did about completing the mission. Obito had also changed as well; he used to be such a crybaby who always ran late and wasn't much of a fighter, often times making up excuses for both. Now he was a strong, responsible young man—he was still late when meeting up with his teammates, it just was not as bad as it used to be. Rin had also changed, though not as much as the boys; she was still the same caring medical ninja who always put the well being of her teammates first. The only thing that had changed with Rin was her feelings; it used to be that Rin only had eyes for Kakashi while Obito only had eyes for Rin. It was on one particular mission that Rin finally discovered Obito's feelings and, thanks to a little help and understanding from Kakashi, Rin was able to find where her heart truly belonged. Kakashi had once made a small joke, saying that if Obito and Rin ever wed, he wanted to be the best man at their wedding. Rin almost fainted when she heard that; Obito promised so long as he got to be Kakashi's best man one day.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot why I came over here," Kushina said as she snapped back to the present, "have anyone of you seen Minato? I've been looking everywhere for him."

"You mean sensei," Kakashi said, "well, I don't know. Sorry, Kushina…"

"I haven't seen sensei either," Rin said, "come to think, I haven't seen him since the party started. What about you, Obito, have you seen sensei anywhere?"

"Now that you mention it Rin, I think I did," Obito said as he scratched his chin, "I believe I saw him heading out to the roof."

"Really? Thank you Obito," Kushina said as she gave a quick bow before moving on.

Kushina quickly found the exit and walked outside into the cool night air. She then began to climb the stair up to the roof; it was there that she found Minato standing in the exact same spot when was announced as the new Hokage. It almost seemed like he had never moved from that spot; Kushina smiled as she watched her lover stand there with the moon gleaming behind him. It almost seemed to give him an ethereal glow that took Kushina's breath away. She then slowly approached Minato before she gently wrapped her arms around him. Minato didn't even flinch; he just placed a gentle hand on hers.

"Nice of you to join me, beautiful," Minato said, "but what are you doing here? I thought you would be at the party right now…"

"I was, but I couldn't find you," Kushina said as she nuzzled his back, "Besides, shouldn't you be done there as well? It is your party, after all."

"I was down there earlier," Minato said, "but then I just felt like coming out here and seeing the village from this view point one more time…"

"But…didn't you already see the village when you came forward earlier today?"

"I did, it just didn't sink in at that time…"

"What didn't sink in?" Kushina asked.

"That I am Hokage now," Minato said as he turned around slowly and wrapped Kushina in his arms, "that I am responsible for the lives here in the Leaf Village, that I have the most beautiful woman in the world as my wife…and that I am going to be a father soon."

"Oh, Minato," Kushina said, her face blushing red. She began to draw Minato into a passionate kiss, until…

"Ahem, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," said Jiraiya as he came up the stairs.

Minato sighed. "Sensei, sometimes you have the most impeccable timing." He said.

"Coming from you, Mr. Yellow Flash of the Leaf, I'll consider that a compliment," Jiraiya as he walked over to his student, "So tell me, why aren't you at the party?"

"You too, sensei?" Minato asked. "You're the second person to ask me that tonight…" And so, Minato explained himself one more time to his sensei as he stood there, still in Kushina's arms. "…And that's why I'm out here."

"I see," Jiraiya said as he walked over to take in the view with his student, "That certainly is a lot to take in for just one day…Yup, sure is…"

Minato rolled his eyes, instantly seeing right through his sensei. "Okay, Jiraiya-sensei, why are you really up here?"

"Am I really that transparent? I must be losing my touch…" Jiraiya sighed a little as he looked to Minato, then Kushina, and finally to the bump on Kushina's belly. "I just wanted to know…if you're really going through with, you know, the name."

"Are still asking about that, sensei?" Minato said, a little surprised, "I already told you, it's great name and it will be perfect for our son when he's born."

"I know you already told me, but why that name?" Jiraiya said as he began to scratch the back of his head. "I just came up with it when I was eating a bowl of ramen. I'm really starting to think I should've chosen a better name than Naruto. And besides, how do you even know it's going to be a boy, anyway?"

"But it's a very beautiful name, Master Jiraiya," Kushina said as she placed a gentle hand on her abdomen, "besides, we want our son to grow up to be just like the character in your book; strong, brave, determined…it would be so wonderful if he could be just like the Gutsy Ninja. And if it does turn out to be a girl…well, we'll still go with the name; we just may need to change it a little bit."

"Jeez, Kushina, it almost seems like by picking that name, you're asking me to the child's godfather…" Jiraiya chuckled as a little, until he noticed the looks on Minato and Kushina, "Wait, you're serious?"

"Of course, sensei," Minato said, "We couldn't think of anyone else who could do a better job of raising our son in case of our absence."

Jiraiya couldn't help but feel something wash over him; it was something he could not describe. It felt like a mixture of fear and pride—it was like Minato was giving him a grandson while at the same time saying he wouldn't be around to watch over the child. Jiraiya could only hope he was wrong about this feeling; thankfully, Jiraiya had a tendency of letting his imagination run wild with him.

"Okay, if you're sure, I won't stop you," Jiraiya said, "now, come on, you need to get back to the party and mingle. People are really starting to get antsy down there and I don't think I can keep them under control for very long."

"We'll be down in a minute, sensei," Minato said, "I just want to enjoy this moment a little while longer. Besides, shouldn't you be down there to make sure Tsunade doesn't drink too much sake like she did the last time…"

"Oh crap, I completely forgot!" Jiraiya raced over and down the stairs, heading back to the party room and hopefully to a still sober Tsunade.

Kushina giggled. "Sometimes, I am amazed how those two wound being married to each other. They're so different…"

"One could say the about us, Kushina," Minato said as he gently kissed her lips, "and I think we turned out just fine. I remember when you used to be such a tomboy. But now, you've turned into one of the most beautiful women in the whole village."

"Oh Minato, stop, you're making me blush," Kushina said as she drew him for a quick kiss. "But you really do need to get back to the party."

"Fine, we'll head back and stay for a few minutes," Minato said, "but after that, we'll get you and your little passenger home. You will both need your rest…"

Kushina giggled as she took Minato's hand and they started to walk back for the stairs. Little did they know that up in the sky, a single speck of light twinkled against the darkness of the night. But this was no ordinary light; it was light that could only be seen by a few special people…and neither Minato nor Kushina were one of those people. So they could not see the light streak across the sky and head straight for Kushina, striking her directly in the back, causing her to stumble. Reacting quickly, Minato caught Kushina in his arms.

"Kushina, what happened? Are you all right?" Minato asked as he helped his wife back to her feet.

"I think so, but I don't know what could've made me trip like that?" Kushina said as she placed her hand over her belly and felt something that filled her with joy. "Minato…I think the baby just kicked!"

"What? Really?" Minato then placed his hand over his wife's belly and felt a small push against his hand. "You're right! I feel it too! Oh, you're impatient, aren't you little one?"

"Well, I hope he isn't ready to come out yet," Kushina said, "The doctors said he would another four months. I'm not ready to give birth just yet…you'll have to be a little more patient, my little angel."

And so, Minato and Kushina headed back down to the party, completely unaware that there soon-to-be-born child had received a gift from the heavens, a gift that would lead to a world of great adventures.

* * *

**Next Chapter****: A New Day Dawns with a Red Sun**

_**Author's Notes**_**: **Okay, here is my second fanfic. It's something I've been thinking about for quite a while; as the title suggests, Naruto's life is about to take a new direction as he learns about the power he holds inside of him and the path he takes to become Hokage. Unfortunately, it is not going to be an easy task, for there is an evil organization (far worse than the Akatsuki) who wishes to steal his power and take it for there own. Now, Naruto not only has to train hard in order to prove he is worthy carrying the title his father currently holds, but also to protect his friends and those like him from the evil that is coming.

When I first conceived this idea, it was still a little rough. I originally designed the evil organization without a name and the idea I had for their goal was weak. But now, I am pleased to say that I have worked out all the rough edges and I believe I have a decent idea for a plot. I hope you all enjoy reading this fanfic.

_Trivia_: **(This is a special little section I made just because. I though it might be an interesting to try out. Not every chapter will have these little tidbits; I'll just add them when I think they are necessary.)**

In Japanese mythology, Jiraiya really was married to Tsunade. While it was never done in the anime, I though it might be nice to try it out and see how it might change the story

Also, in the Legend of Jiraiya, Orochimaru was originally called Yashagoro. He was a student of Jiraiya's who was later corrupted by snake magic and became Orochimaru. I decided it would be interesting to give Orochimaru a slightly different role in this story. It should prove to be quite interesting


	2. Ch 1 A New Day Dawns with a Red Sun

**Naruto: A New Direction**

**Chapter 1: A New Day Dawns with a Red Sun**

It was a bright, clear day on October the 10th. People were enjoying the fine weather, strolling in the bright sunshine; it was a perfect day to be outside. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to enjoy the fine weather; Minato Namikaze was busy working up in his office stamping papers with his seal of approval and reviewing various mission documents. It was a boring and tedious job, but one that had to be done. Minato sighed as he placed another slip of paper on the slowly growing stack of completed paper work.

"There just has to be an easier way to do this," Minato said as signed another form and stamped another slip.

"Well, if you weren't moving so slowly, you'd be done by," Jiraiya said as he leaned against the wall, "I thought you were supposed to be the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, Minato. You should be breezing through those papers, especially since you've been at this for over a few months now."

"I know, I know, it's that just that I don't want to make a mistake is all. It also doesn't help with the fact that your wife left most of her paperwork unfinished when she retired; thanks to her lackadaisical attitude, I have to make up for her work!"

Jiraiya laughed. "Well, what can I say, when she gets in the mood for sake, there's no stopping her…unless you want to retire to an early grave."

"You know, the least you can is help me, sensei, seeing as how you nothing to do at the moment."

"Oh, wish I could, Minato…but I have other business to attend to today; I'm planning to meet with my contacts here in the Leaf Village."

Minato stopped in the middle of his paperwork and looked at his old sensei. "You're still trying to find out about Orochimaru; I though he had disappeared without a trace."

"That's what I thought too, but it looks like he finally decided to resurface after all these years," Jiraiya said, "and that's not all; there are rumors going around that a new ninja village is being constructed in the Land of Whispers and that this new village is lead by none other than Orochimaru."

"Are there any other details about this new village?" Minato asked.

Jiraiya moved away from the wall and walked over to the window before he started talking again.

"Not at the moment; although, some of my contacts have told me that Orochimaru has dozens of hideouts scattered all over the land," he said, "but I don't understand why he would suddenly want to start a ninja village, especially since he knows it will just bring more attention to himself. The only reason I can think of that Orochimaru would want to start his own ninja village is to attract other potential ninja."

"You mean potential test subjects, don't you?" Minato said.

Jiraiya did not bother to say anything; it was true he had known Orochimaru since he was a genin, a ninja-in-training, mainly through Orochimaru's brother, Yashagoro. But even he could not believe it when he learned about Orochimaru's abductions of Leaf Villagers and using them as test subjects in such twisted, inhumane experiments. He could still remember the horrid scene and the rancid smell when he found Orochimaru's secret laboratory underneath the Leaf Village. He almost puked at the sight; not wanting to dig up a terrible old memory, Jiraiya decided it was time to change the subject.

"So, tell me, how are things with Kushina?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hmmm, uh, well it could be better," Minato, said, "I have to admit, her constant late night cravings have been a bit of a bother…"

"Hey, I did warn you things were going to be difficult," Jiraiya chuckled, "it is just like when Tsunade was pregnant for the first time. Boy, what a handful she was…"

"Speaking of which, have you heard any news yet about your son, Jiyu? I thought he would've been done training at Mount Myoboku by now; I mean, it's been nearly—"

Minato was quickly interrupted when the door to his office opened and Kushina walked in, holding her massive belly with one hand.

"Hello, dear," Kushina said gently, "I hope you don't mind me visiting…"

"No, no, not all," Minato said, "but I thought you were going to stay at home today; I mean, isn't it straining for you to walk around, especially with that weight you're carrying…"

"Oh, Minato, I'm fine," Kushina said, "I just wanted to get some fresh air; I was going crazy in that stuffy, cramped apartment of yours. I thought we would be living in the Hokage mansion by now?"

Minato smiled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "I am truly sorry, my dear; the mansion's still being renovated, so it will be a while before we can finally move in…."

"That's the same excuse you gave me over a month ago. How long does it take to finish a simple construction job? Sometimes I wonder if those construction workers are just simply dragging their heels in the hopes of getting more money out of this job."

Minato wanted to add a rebuttal to Kushina's statement, but it was impossible, for she was right on all accounts. Secretly, Minato knew a job like this should not take so long, especially since it had only started a day before he became Hokage. Minato knew that his wife was right and decided that now was that not the time for excuses, especially since he did not know how Kushina would react and how it might effect the baby. Also, Minato was starting frustrated with the delay as well.

"Listen, Kushina," Minato said, "I'll stop by the mansion today and find out exactly why they are taking so long…"

"And if they don't cooperate?" Kushina inquired.

"Then, they'll be getting more than a complaint from me, of that you can be sure." Minato's eye sparkled as he spoke, making Kushina giggle; she knew Minato well enough to know what he was planning.

"All right, I guess that is good enough for me…" Kushina said.

"Good, now would you please go back to the apartment and wait, please? I'm worried about both of you…" Minato looked at Kushina and then at her bulging stomach.

"Fine, I'll go…" Kushina sighed as she opened the door. "…Just don't keep me waiting too long dear."

With that, Kushina closed the door, leaving Minato with his sensei once again.

"Boy, she's stubborn," Jiraiya, said, "I sure hope the baby doesn't turn out like that!"

"Personally, I don't care about his personality," Minato said bluntly, "I just want my child to be happy and hearty; that's good enough for me. Now, getting back to what we were talking about earlier, you mentioned something about an organization you discovered while investigating Orochimaru…"

Jiraiya was about to speak when he was suddenly cut off by a severe cry of pain coming from the hallway. Minato instantly recognized the cry as Kushina's and leapt from his desk, scattering papers all over the place. Jiraiya quickly followed behind his student as they out into the hallway to find Kushina kneeling on the floor, crying out in pain, her hands holding her stomach.

"Kushina, what is it?" Minato asked as he rushed to his wife's side.

"Honey…its here!" Kushina said in a strained tone. "The baby…it's coming!"

"W-w-what!?" Minato exclaimed. "Are sure it's the baby?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," Kushina said, "unless, of course, this is the world's most severe case of heartburn…"

Kushina let out another deep agonizing moan as she felt the pressure in her stomach build. In less than a heartbeat, Minato scooped up Kushina in his arms and raced down the hallway at top speed, leaving behind a trail of dust and an astonished toad sage.

"Whoa, _cough_, and I thought he could only move that fast using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu…" Jiraiya coughed as he waved the dust away from his face. "Speaking of which, I wonder why he didn't use the technique? "

It was true that Minato could have used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to instantly teleport himself and Kushina to the hospital, but Tsunade had cautioned him that such a powerful jutsu could cause serious trauma to the unborn child. So, Minato ran as fast as he could, faster than even he could possibly believe, unknowingly causing a streak of panic along his path to the Hidden Leaf Hospital…

* * *

Tsunade took a quick sip of tea as she finished going over all the various medical reports—though her lips yearned for the sweet taste of sake. She had just finished the last report and placed it onto a pile; she then grabbed the files, placed them under her arm and walked off to deliver them to the reception desk to be filed. Tsunade arrived at the reception desk less than a couple minutes later and approached the receptionist.

"Ah, Lady Tsunade," the receptionist said, "Finished with today's paperwork, I see. I hope you didn't have any trouble?"

"Who me, nah, it was no trouble at all. I must admit, today's paperwork wasn't nearly as tedious as it usually was. The only serious medical emergency we've had today is a sprained ankle of some civilian. I think today is going to be a nice, slow, easy day; in fact, I'll bet all the spare in my pockets that there is not going to be one serious medical emergency at all…"

"Okay, it's a bet!" the receptionist replied teasingly.

Tsunade chuckled at the receptionist's playful response. She then started to take another sip of her tea, when the door to the hospital suddenly burst open, shocking everyone within the reception area and making Tsunade spit her tea and drop her cup at the same time.

"Lady Tsunade!" Minato cried out as he ran to her. "You've got to help me; Kushina's gone into labor!"

"WHAT!?" Tsunade exclaimed, "Well, don't just stand there, Minato; follow me, quickly, we've got to get her prepped for the delivery room. Come on…!"

The reception area was a complete and total mess as papers wafted in the air or laid on the ground. As for the receptionist, she just sat at her desk with a look of total surprise on her face…and Tsunade's tea. She could only sit there as she began to contemplate how she could've been right about their being an emergency today.

* * *

Tsunade and Minato raced through the hospital until they finally reached the delivery wing. Tsunade almost ripped one of the doors off its hinges as she led Minato to a bed where he laid Kushina down. As soon as she was on the bed, Kushina let out another painful moan as she felt another convulsion erupting within her.

"Minato, help me!" Kushina screamed. "It hurts so much; I can't take it…ahhhh!"

"It's all right Kushina, everything's going to be fine," Minato said, "she will be all right, won't she Lady Tsunade?"

"She will be as soon as you get out of here and allow me to do my work!" Tsunade said as she began to push Minato out of the room.

"Don't worry, honey, I'll be right out side waiting for you and the baby," Minato said, "I promise!"

With those last words, Tsunade shoved Minato out of the delivery room. And so, Minato waited…and waited…and waited, with only Kushina's screams of torment to signify that she was still in labor. As Minato waited for what seemed like hours, he suddenly remembered that Tsunade was doing the delivery on her own, with no other assistance. It was true Tsunade was a legendary medic with skills that would easily surpass ten doctors, but that did not mean she could necessarily do the work of ten doctors.

Minato was just about to go look for help…when Kushina suddenly became quiet, very quiet. At first Minato feared the worst, until he heard the most beautiful in his life: the sound of newborn baby, crying. In a short instance, Minato's heart filled with pride and joy as tears began to well up in his eyes. Minato wanted to rush into the room, to see his wife and his newborn child, but Tsunade had not given him permission to enter and knowing her legendary temper, if he rushed in their now, he would certainly catch it in the neck. After a few minutes, the baby's crying became softer and softer until it no longer echoed from the room. It was then that Tsunade exited the room, wiping the sweat from her brown as she slowly walked to the waiting bench and slumped down into it.

"Congratulations…Minato," Tsunade said into between breaths, "you are now…the proud father…of a beautiful baby boy."

"Lady Tsunade, I--"

Tsunade quickly interrupted him. "Save it; if you really want to thank me, you will buy me as many rounds as I want tonight at Happy Hour at the Fire Bird Bar. Do that and we'll call it even."

Minato gently nodded his head as he turned towards the door and slowly walked into the delivery room. Once he was inside, Minato could see his wife sitting up the bed, her hair messy from the delivery. In her arms, she held a small bundle wrapped up in a blue blanket. Minato was utterly speechless; this was the day he had been waiting for, he could scarcely believe it was true. Kushina starred at Minato and smiled.

"Minato, it's amazing," Kushina's voice was weak, but it still sounded lovely to Minato, "come here and say hello to your boy. Say hello to your son, Naruto…"

Minato carefully walked over to his wife, pulled a chair over to her and sat close enough to see his son's peaceful, sleeping face. It was true, Minato was a father and his son was beautiful; he almost couldn't believe he helped make this miracle of nature.

"Oh, Kushina, you're right, he is amazing," Minato could see his son had inherited most of his looks, like his spiky blonde hair which stuck out from underneath the covers. That was when Minato noticed something that caught his attention, something that he almost did not notice. "Huh, that's odd…"

"What's wrong darling?" Kushina asked.

"It looks like he has some marks on his cheeks…they make it look he has whiskers."

Kushina looked at her husband then back to her son and saw the marks Minato had mentioned.

"You're right, they do look like whisker marks," Kushina said, "but I think they're adorable. They make him look even cuter, don't you think so Minato?"

Minato shrugged. "I suppose," Minato, whispered, "I just hope people don't make fun of him."

"I'm sure he will be just fine," Kushina said, "by the way, you don't have to whisper. He can't hear very well yet; it will be a while before he can…"

"Really? Because it looks to me like he is waking up…"

Kushina looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, feeling her newborn son stir, his eyes slowly fluttering open. As his eyes opened, he revealed his sapphire blue eyes; they were shaped like Kushina's but they definitely had Minato's shade. At first, Minato and Kushina remained silent and still—believing their son would start crying upon seeing them; it was true they had talked to him while he inside Kushina but this was the first time he saw them. But to their surprise, Naruto began to smile and cooed softly as he wriggled his arms free of his bundle and reached out toward them. Minato chuckled as a single tear trickled down his face.

"He knows who we are," Minato said softly, "He knows who we are. Kushina, this is amazing…"

"It sure is…" Kushina then looked at her husband and back at Naruto. "Hello, my little Naruto, I'm your mom…and this handsome man is your father. Welcome to the world."

Kushina then bent down and gently kissed Naruto on his forehead. Naruto giggled as Minato extended his finger and let Naruto gently grab on it; his grip was firm but also very soft and gentle. Minato was happy that his son could see him and his mother so soon. But it wasn't very long before Naruto once again drifted off to sleep and his blue eyes shut once again.

"Sleep well, my son," Minato said as he gently stroked Naruto's forehead, "we'll be right here when you wake up, I promise."

"Oh, Minato, that was so sweet," Kushina said, gently rocking Naruto, "I just hope he doesn't wake up during his examination. If he's anything like me, he'll be terrified of the doctors and those…sharp needles!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be just fine." Minato then noticed his son smile in his sleep. "Looks like he is having a very nice dream…I wonder what it's about?"

* * *

Naruto didn't know where he was, for he was still too young to understand the concept of hallways and lights. All he knew was that he was somewhere that felt familiar and safe to him, even though this was his first time here. He quickly became curious about this place and decided to explore; he gingerly began to crawl along the stone floor, though it did not seem to bother his soft skin. As he continued to crawl forward, he came upon a new hallway from which a bright light shined from. This light enticed Naruto and he quickly began to crawl towards it.

Naruto then came upon a large, decorated room; long silk tapestries hung from the walls, four tall stone columns stretched up into the darkness above, and numerous small spheres danced around the round illuminating it. In the very center of the room, there was a large red bed and on that bed sat…something. Naruto could not see it, so he crawled over to the bed to get a better look. As he approached, a low hum began to echo from the bed. As Naruto drew closer, whatever was sleeping in the bed began to stir and rise from its sleep. This creature had soft red fur, long pointy ears, gentle golden eyes, and nine tails swaying softly around it.

"Who is there?" The beast asked in a deep but gentle voice. The beast then looked down and saw the tiny boy before him, looking up at him with curious, innocent eyes. "Oh, well hello little one, who might you be?" Naruto answered with a simple coo as he reached out and tried to grab one of the beast's tails that swayed past him. "Would you like to go for a ride?"

The beast lowered four of his tails and gently scooped up Naruto. He then lifted the tiny little thing up onto his back, where Naruto gently grabbed onto his fur and nuzzled the beast's back.

"You like it?" The beast asked, "I'm surprised, you do not seem to fear me. So, you are my host, I see? I can only imagine what the future holds for you…but I do hope it at least leads me back to my brothers and sisters."

The beast watched as the child continued to lie peacefully on his back…

* * *

In the waking world, Naruto had already been moved to an open New Arrival room. Kushina and Minato stood on the opposite side of the window looking in on their son. Surprisingly, Naruto was the only newborn baby in the room; Kushina felt a little disappointed that her son was in there alone. It was a pity, but many of the newborns had already gone home with their parents. At least Naruto wouldn't be staying there for long; Tsunade planned to give Naruto a thorough examination so that his parents could take him home right away.

"He looks like a little angel, sleeping there as he is," Kushina said as she leaned against Minato.

"He sure does," Minato said; he then looked down and noticed Kushina's distraught face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just have this really bad feeling something terrible is going to happen to him, Minato."

"Now, don't worry Kushina, nothing bad is going to happen to our son. I promise…come on, why don't go get something to drink."

Kushina reluctantly agreed as Minato lead her away to the vending machine down the hall. As they left, Kushina glanced one last time at her son's sleeping face, praying that her fears were unfounded. But as they walked away, two cloaked figures slowly approached the same examination window; they almost seemed to walk out from the shadows, their faces completely hidden by the hoods of their gray cloaks.

"So, this is the child of the 5th Hokage," the first figure said, "I only hope there are remains left afterwards, I'd love to see how he turned out…all nice and crispy."

"Will you just hurry up and do it," the second figure said, "the Yellow Flash may return at any moment. Just start it so we can leave!"

"Always in such a rush…very well. Farewell, young one, I do hope the darkness welcomes you with open arms…"

The first figure then raised his hands into an odd position. Suddenly, a ring of strange marks and glyphs began to encircle Naruto's tiny bed; as soon as the marks appeared, the two dark figures stepped back and vanished within the shadows once again.

* * *

Inside the special room, where Naruto now played with the beast's tails, the beast suddenly tensed up.

"This feeling…it's here too!" The beast said. "Or has it always been here? However it got here, it seems to be targeting the child…there is little time, I must protect the child." The beast then looked down at Naruto, almost expecting him to understand. "I only hope this works. His body is still young; I pray my power does not harm him…"

The beast began to focus with all of it's might before a strange golden light began to flow from it's body and out into the hallways.

* * *

Minato and Kushina soon returned, each carrying a can of his/her favorite drink in their hands.

"Do you feel better now, Kushina?" Minato asked.

"A little," Kushina answered, "but I still can't shake the feeling that something is wrong."

"Don't worry, Kushina," Minato said gently, "everything will be just fine. Come on, I promise you he will still be in-"

A tremendous explosion suddenly erupted into the hallway creating a giant blaze, which barreled through the hall towards Minato and Kushina. With little time to think, Minato grabbed onto Kushina tightly and instantly transported both of them into the streets of the Leaf Village, just outside of the hospital. Kushina was stunned for a few seconds before her senses finally returned. She looked back at the hospital and could see the fire already starting to spread up the side of the building. Once she realized where the fire was coming from, only one thought came into her mind…

"NARUTO!!!" Kushina screamed as she quickly got up and started to run into the hospital.

Minato immediately saw Kushina rushing towards the hospital and moved to stop her.

"Let me go, Minato!" Kushina protested as she struggled to break free. "I have to save Naruto! Let me go!"

"Please, Kushina, don't," Minato said as tears started to trickle into his eyes, "it's no use; the explosion came from his room…"

Kushina struggled for a few more minutes before finally breaking down and crying. She just couldn't believe it, only an hour ago, she had held her newborn son in her arms and now he had been taken away from her. It was just too much to bear; Minato was also feeling the pain in his heart, but he could not afford the luxury breaking down at that moment. There were still people trying to escape from the hospital. Even if his son was gone, he could not let others die as well. Working as fast as he could, Minato began to use the Flying Thunder God jutsu to teleport in and out of the hospital with injured patients in his arms.

Soon, a group of ninja wearing different shaped animal masks appeared and began to provide the Hokage with aid. Some helped with moving the patients out of the area while others began to use special water techniques to dose the fire. They were the ANBU Black Ops, a special group of elite ninja that helped with watching over the village. They had responded as quickly as they could to the crisis at the hospital. It was thanks to their swift actions that the fire was quickly dealt with and all the hospital patients and staff was saved…almost all of them, anyway.

After the flames had been put out, people started to gather around the hospital to witness the aftermath. Civilians had gathered around a ring of police barriers that kept the regular people back. Behind the barriers, a group of three young ninja were gathered around a distraught woman with red hair who still crying. Kakashi, Rin, and Obito had gathered at the scene to provide whatever assistance they could, but at this point all they could hope to do was calm Kushina down. But they could do little to stem the severe tide of anguish that flowed through Kushina, for she had lost her first son…there was nothing anyone could, short of resurrecting her child.

Elsewhere, Minato stood almost perfectly still as he looked over horror before him. There were charred pieces of wood and mortar around his feet, debris from the blast that had claimed his son's life. He was not alone either; Jiraiya and Tsunade were there as well, doing their best to try and comfort Minato, but they knew there was nothing they could do or say. Minato's grief was far too great; it seemed the only thing they could do was be there for Minato and Kushina. Minato eventually walked back to his wife and took her in his arms as he could feel a fresh wave of tears well up in his eyes.

The ANBU were currently shifting through the wreckage, trying to find the source of the explosion.

"How are you doing on you end?" A dog-mask ANBU called out.

"Nothing yet!" A hawk-mask ANBU responded. He continued to move away debris when something caught his eye. "Wait, what's this…? Oh my god; captain, get over here, quick!"

The dog ANBU quickly appeared near the hawk, as did the other members. "What is it? What did you find?"

"See for yourself," hawk said, stepping aside, "you're not going to believe this!"

Elsewhere, Kushina was still weeping over the loss of her son as Minato held her in his arms. There was nothing he could say to ease Kushina's pain, for it was also his pain too. It seemed there was nothing that could be done to ease their grief, until…

"Lord Hokage," an ANBU said, suddenly appearing behind Minato.

Minato released Kushina, not saying a word.

"Uh, I wanted to tell you…we found your son."

Minato instantly tensed up while Kushina only stopped crying for an instant before crying even harder. The last thing she wanted to see was the charred corpse of her son. Jiraiya and Tsunade had heard what the ANBU captain had said and was about to give him a piece of her mind. The ANBU quickly raised his hands in front to defend himself.

"Wait, please, it's…it's not what you think." A hush suddenly fell over the crowd gathered around the scene. "We found him…amongst the wreckage…but, but…well, just see for yourself."

The ANBU leader motioned for his subordinate to approach. In his arms, he held a small white bundle wrapped up nicely. Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all went in closer and watched as the bundle was slowly unwrapped…revealing Naruto's soft little face, sleeping peacefully. It was truly amazing; the flames hadn't even touched him and what was more, it seemed he had just slept through the whole thing. Kushina couldn't even believe it but her son was still alive; she then just watched as Naruto's eyes fluttered open, looking up into hers and Minato's face before starting to giggle. In a flash, Kushina took Naruto from the ANBU's arms and pulled him in to a tight hug, kissing his forehead while letting tears and cries of joy flow. It was truly a miraculous moment for her.

As for Minato, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, they were utterly stunned. Truly, the gods had been watching out for them from up above; Minato actually pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. But it was true, Naruto was right there in Kushina's arms, giggling as his mother smothered him. Minato could hardly believe it; but Minato was quickly brought out of his reprieve.

"Excuse me, Lord Hokage," the ANBU leader said, "I think there is something you need to see…"

"Is it important?" Minato asked.

"Well…let's just say you need to see for yourself what we found." The ANBU leader said.

"All right, just give me a moment," Minato then walked over to Kushina and leaned down next to her. He whispered a few things in her ear before he turned to his sensei to also say a few things to him. As soon as he had spoken with them, he returned to the ANBU leader. "Now, what was it you wanted show me?"

The ANBU captain motioned for Minato to follow him. Minato was lead through the wreckage of the hospital room where Naruto had been found; it was so hard to believe that this sole room had caught ablaze so suddenly. As the Fifth Hokage sifted his way through the wreckage, he could see an area that had been cleared ahead—the ANBU captain was already there, waiting for him. Once Minato arrived, he saw something that shocked him; in the center of the wreckage was Naruto's baby bed, perfectly intact. What's more, the floor around Naruto's bed was untouched; it had formed a perfect circle around the bed.

"This is what I wanted to show you, Lord Hokage," the ANBU captain, "this is the area where we found your son, still sleeping. I'm afraid, though, that we have also discovered something most unsettling. From what we can tell…the fire originated from the area…around your son." Minato suddenly stiffened. "I know this may be for you to believe, but it seems that your son was the cause of…argh!"

The ANBU captain suddenly found himself pinned against a charred board by the Fifth Hokage.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Minato exclaimed. "My son did not do this!"

"I-I'm only telling you what we found," the ANBU captain choked, "the evidence just pointed to that conclusion. Please, Lord Hokage, I'm only telling you the truth…"

Minato held the ANBU captain for a few more seconds before finally releasing him from the chokehold. He could not believe this was happening; there was no way Naruto could have started this fire—it was impossible. The only other explanation was that someone had used ninjutsu to start the fire and chosen Naruto as the target; but if that was true, then how did Naruto survive such a blaze? More importantly, how did these perpetrators slip into the hospital, let alone the village, to commit this act? Minato's mind was wracked with concern, both for his family and his son. Minato was not the only one who was worried; Jiraiya, his sensei, had followed Minato, keeping himself hidden. He had followed at Minato's request, but did not like what he heard. If this leaked out, Naruto was sure to have a difficult with the citizens of the Leaf.

Little did Minato or Jiraiya realize that the guilty party was not too far away; two lone figures in strange cloaks stood atop a building, looking down at the scene below them. One of them had his fists balled as he watched a mother coddle her child in her arms.

"How can this be?" the first figure said. "That child should have been burned to ashes. There is no way he could've survived such a blaze! I can't believe this; how could we have screwed up something so simple?"

The second just seemed to stare nonchalantly at the group of people below.

"We didn't…" The second figure said.

"What?"

"We did not fail in endeavors," the second figure said, "true, we failed in killing the boy, but it seems we achieved another goal…"

"Okay, could you just give a straight answer for once. I swear, I hate it when you beat around the bush like that!"

"You just had to ask." The first figure growled as his body tensed. "It is true that we failed to kill the boy to cause fear and misery within the village, but it seems we have achieved one of our more pressing objectives. To answer you earlier question, you are right, there is no way that child could have survived such a blaze…at least, not on his own."

"What the hell is that supposed to—wait, do you mean that…?"

"Yes, it seems we have found what slipped through our grasp all those months ago. It looks as if the beasts have hidden themselves in our world."

"So what are we doing up here; we should rush down there and grab the little brat while we can!"

"No, that would be unwise. Our little…display has roused too much attention. The village will be on high alert now; besides, we cannot make ourselves known just yet. We still have much to do and prepare before we are finally ready to put our plans into motion. Besides, we have only found one of them…we still need to locate the others."

"So what, we're just gonna return empty handed?"

"Hardly…now, let us continue on our way; we still need to rendezvous with our contacts."

"Eh, do we have to; I'd much rather sink my teeth into some food. I'm starving!"

"The sooner we complete our task, the sooner you can…engorge yourself. Now let's go…"

And with that, the two mysterious disappeared in an instant, leaving no trace of their presence…

* * *

**Next Chapter:**** A Day at the Park**

_**Author's Notes**_: This chapter was a little bit tricky to write. I had to figure out how to introduce some of the chief characters without giving too much away. I also managed to give Kyubi a little cameo. While this chapter was a little difficult to write, I'm actually quite proud with how it turned out and I look forward to writing the next one.


	3. Ch 2 A Day in the Park

**Naruto: A New Direction**

**Chapter 2: A Day in the Park**

The sun rose over the horizon, illuminating all before it. The rays stretched out until they filtered in through one particular window in one particular house—the house of the Fifth Hokage and his family. As the sunlight entered the rooms, it eventually settled on the face of a young blonde who had spiky hair and unusual whisker marks on his cheeks. As the sun warmed the youth's face, he pulled his blanket over his head to shield his eyes from the sun. It may have been time for him to wake up, but he did not want to wake up just yet. To him it just felt too early to get up, until he remembered what today was and he suddenly felt wide awake.

"Oh yeah, today is the day!" The child yelled as he leapt from his bed and thrust his arms up. "All right, I can't believe I almost slept through it! Today is the day that mom promised to take me to the park!"

The child then leapt out of bed and undressed himself before racing into the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. This child's name was Naruto Namikaze, the son of the Fifth Hokage and the unpredictable hyperactive wild boy of the Hidden Leaf Village. It was said that this child had more energy than even his mom; he was a proverbial ball of fire. But he was also known by another name—the demonic child. Ever since he was old enough to remember, more than half of the village had treated Naruto badly because of something he could not remember. His father, Minato Namikaze, had hoped that rumors would not spread about the hospital incident. But there were plenty of witnesses and eavesdroppers at the scene to learn enough. Apparently, the mysterious explosion had started in Naruto's room and he was virtually untouched. Some said it was a miracle, while others said it was an ill omen and that the child was possessed. Whatever the reason, most people were afraid of Naruto and fear more often than not breeds hatred.

Kushina had tried her best to protect Naruto by keeping him home with her, where he was safe. Ever since that incident, she barley let Naruto out of her sight; the fear of the hospital stayed with her for a long time. Kushina was so afraid that she would not let Naruto sleep in a bed alone until he was one and a half years old. Kushina found it harder to get over her fears when she took Naruto out for a walk and noticed all of the terrible looks people were giving Naruto. She had simply wanted to keep Naruto in the house all the time, but that proved far more difficult than she thought. Naruto would often sneak out of the house to explore the Hidden Leaf Village. Kushina did catch him eventually, but not until after he disappeared for more than an hour. After a few escapes, Naruto had found several places around the village that he really liked, one of them was a ramen stand named Ichiraku's Ramen. Every time Naruto snuck out, he made sure to make at least one trip to the ramen stand—which was where Kushina usually caught him in the middle of his third bowl of ramen. Naruto really enjoyed the ramen stand, especially since the owner, Teuchi, and his daughter, Ayame, treated him with such kindness before they even knew he was the son of the Fifth Hokage.

After a while, Kushina became frustrated with trying to contain her rambunctious son and finally decided that she would take him to the park if Naruto agreed to stop sneaking out, to which Naruto quickly agreed. The day Kushina had promised had come and Naruto could not wait; he struggled to get his favorite t-shirt—an orange shirt with a blue swirl on the front—over his head. He then ran over to his chest of drawers, opened them, and pulled out his favorite pair of goggles. He had gotten these goggles at the toy store a while back; the owner had refused to sell them to him, until his mother came and set him straight. Since then, Naruto always wore his goggles as a sort of way of saying thanks to his mom. With his goggles secured on his head, Naruto raced downstairs to the kitchen, where a young, light-purple haired maid was busy at work setting the table for breakfast.

"Good morning, Aoi," Naruto said as he sat down at the table.

"Oh, good morning Naruto," Aoi replied happily, "How are you this morning?"

"Great! I haven't been this excited in…ever!"

Aoi smiled as she watched the little blonde boy sit at his table, swinging his legs excitedly. Aoi had been in the service to the Fifth Hokage since he had taken office. She had known Naruto since the day he was born…as well as the rumors that surrounded him. But she was not as easily swayed as most of the other villagers, she did not believe in the rumors about Naruto being some sort of demon child. She considered Naruto more of a family member; Naruto had even referred to her as "big sister" on a few occasions, which Aoi liked being called a sister, since she did not have any family in the village. It was a happy life for both of them.

As Naruto sat at the table, waiting to be served breakfast, he thought all the cool things he was going to do at the park. Sliding down the slide, swinging on swings, spinning on the merry-go-round, and the best of all meeting other kids. Naruto could not understand why, but his mother barely let him out of the house. He did take her with on a few shopping trips, but that was about it. For Naruto, a trip to the park would be awesome, especially since it would give him a chance to meet kids his own age. The truth was, Minato had managed to convince Kushina of going to the park; if she had had her way, Naruto would have just stayed locked up in his room like a caged bird. As the thoughts of what Naruto was going to do at the park entered his mind, he became even more excited and started to jump in his seat.

"Come on, Aoi, hurry up! I want to go the park as soon as possible!"

"Now, now, Naruto, don't rush. Wait for your parents to come down. After all, they need to eat as well."

Naruto groaned and crossed his arms as he pouted. "Fine…man, this stinks, why can't they just wake up already! I want to go to the park now!"

"Oh, Naruto, don't act like such a spoiled brat. Your parents work very hard, both of them—your father is the Hokage and your mother…well, she has it hard enough dealing with someone as hyperactive as you. It's no wonder she hasn't returned to her duties as a ninja yet." Naruto just gave a gruff '_hmph_' as he turned his head to the side. "_Sigh_, look Naruto, I know you were excited about going to the park today, but don't blame your parents for wanting to sleep in. Like I said, they both have tough lives. Just let them sleep in, after all they let you do it all the time…"

"Fine…but if they're not down here in less than five, I'm going upstairs and waking them up myself!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well, looks like someone is being a little sourpuss this morning…"

Naruto quickly turned around to see his mom and dad standing in the entryway, side by side.

"Mommy, Daddy, you're finally awake!" Naruto cheered as he leapt out of his seat, ran over to his parents, and wrapped around one of their legs.

"Easy, their kiddo, we just woke up," Minato said as he gently pried Naruto loose from his leg. "We don't have your stamina; give us a chance to get started, all right?"

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "Okay, dad…" Minato then put Naruto back in his seat at the table as Aoi laid several plates before each of them.

As Aoi began to serve the food, Minato could not help but reminisce, looking at his family as they sat around the table. He first looked at Naruto, who began to wolf down his breakfast and Kushina started to scold him. Minato thought about how much Naruto looked like him, yet he possessed the shape of his mother's eyes as well as her personality, spirit, and vitality. He remembered when Naruto was old enough to walk, how he would race around the house at breakneck speeds…for a baby, anyway. He remembered when Naruto learned his first three words—mommy, daddy…and ramen. Minato couldn't help but laugh at how much his son was so much like his mother when she was younger. Minato remembered when Naruto made his first big grin, which made him show his gums; Minato couldn't help but laugh, which made Naruto laugh for the first time ever. Minato then thought about how strange Naruto was; even though he was still a baby, he rarely ever cried—only when he was hungry or needed changing. Truly, Naruto was one of those children who were more fascinated by the world than frightened by it; whether it was people or places, nothing frightened Naruto.

Minato then focused his attention on Kushina and couldn't help but sigh a little. He remembered when she was much younger, how rambunctious she used to be, how she pulled pranks on people who upset her, and how she could not get enough of ramen—he once made a joke saying that ramen broth ran through her veins instead of blood. Kushina was a tomboy when she was much younger and, judging by Naruto's attitude, he was going to be very much like his mother. Minato could only hope his son would someone to balance him out; his thoughts quickly returned to Kushina. After that incident at the hospital, Kushina stuck to Naruto like glue; she could not be pried off Naruto even with a crowbar. She had actually moved Naruto's crib into their bedroom for the first eight months after she had brought Naruto home from the hospital. Kushina would not even take Naruto for a walk unless Minato had several ANBU guards accompanying them. Thankfully, Kushina had relaxed over the years, but she was still afraid to let Naruto out of the house.

The first time Naruto wanted to leave the house, Kushina threw a fit and sent him to his room. Naruto did not know what he had done to make his mother so angry, but he was not going to let his mom stop him from leaving. He snuck out the same day and explored more than a third of the Leaf Village. Apparently, he was so excited that he did not even notice the glares some people were giving. During his walk, Naruto had found this little stand called "Ichiraku's Ramen" and decided to have lunch. Since that day, Naruto has looked for any possible chance to sneak out of the house again to visit that same ramen stand—although Aoi's cooking was not bad, there was just something about Ichiraku's that always drew Naruto back to it. Minato laughed so hard when his son told about what he had discovered and hoped that one day they could all eat there, as a family. Kushina was furious when she learned of Naruto's outing, but found it hard to just stay mad with him. Minato could tell this was a sign that Kushina's fear was starting to ebb away; that is most likely why Kushina agreed to take Naruto to the park today.

Once everyone had finished their breakfast, Aoi gathered up all the dishes and placed them in the sink to be washed later. Naruto was so excited that he practically burst out of his seat and ran to the front door to await his parents.

Kushina giggled. "That boy sure has a lot of energy…" she said.

"He get's that from you," Minato said, "come on, we better get moving. If we leave waiting for too long, his head might explode."

Minato and Kushina got up, headed for the door, and found Naruto there—jittery, bouncing on his toes with a big grin on his face. They then outstretched their hands and Naruto took them both without hesitation…

* * *

As Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha, he held on tightly to his parents' hands, as if they were the only things holding him back from racing at full speed straight to the park. Naruto was so happy that he did not even notice the cold, suspicious glares from the occasional civilians. As they continued down the street, Kushina kept a watchful on the civilians that shot nasty glares at her son; it was as if she was responding to those stares with her own wicked glare that said "mess with my kid and you're dead." For Kushina, keeping Naruto safe was all that mattered to her—she had already lost so much, it was hard to believe she was still sane. Minato had also noticed the dark glares some people were shooting at Naruto, but he was glad his son was so happy that he did not even notice them. He also noticed Kushina's eyes, which were filled the protective nature any mother has for her child.

Naruto and his parents continued on their way to the park together until they arrived at the Hokage building, which made Naruto sulk because he knew his dad would have to leave to go to work. But he did not want him to. As Minato started to let go of Naruto's hand, he quickly felt a light tug and looked down to see Naruto now had both his hands on Minato's.

"Do you have to go to work, daddy?" Naruto asked with sad, innocent, "Can't you please come with us to the park today? Pretty please?"

Minato smiled and leaned down to face his son. "I'm really sorry, Naruto, but I have to work today. I'm the Hokage and that means I have a lot of responsibilities that I can't ignore. I promise you, whenever a free moment I'll zip over to the park to visit you and your mother, okay?" Naruto still had a frown on his face, but he nodded to show he understood. "That's my boy…now you behave for your mother and try not to drive her crazy, all right?"

Naruto perked up a little and nodded once more before his father ruffled his hair and headed off to the Hokage tower to perform his daily task of filling out paper work—that free moment Minato promised to Naruto could not come sooner in Minato's mind. Kushina waved goodbye to her husband as he headed inside to his office before she took Naruto's hand in hers once again and continued walking with him to the park. As Kushina walked with Naruto, she realized that her son was not as energetic as when they had left the mansion. She quickly realized that when Naruto's dream of going to the park most likely involved doing it with the whole family together. It saddened Kushina to see her son like this, but maybe making new friends at the park would help. And so, Naruto and Kushina walked past the Hokage tower and continued on their way to the park.

As Naruto walked with his mom to the park, he began to feel colder all of sudden, like there were eyes starring at him from the shadows, glaring at him just because he was alive. He was afraid to look up for fearing that he might actually see these eyes. So, he hung his head low and moved in closer to his mom. Kushina noticed this and felt deeply depressed; she knew her son could feel the cold stares many people were giving him as they continued to walk down the street. Kushina almost wished she could just walk up to those people and smash their faces in for how they were looking at her son. Fortunately for both of them, the walk to the park from the Hokage's tower was not very long. Before Naruto or Kushina realized it, they had arrived at the park.

* * *

Once they had arrived, Kushina was actually glad she brought Naruto to the park. There were so many kids here about Naruto's age; hopefully they would be able to cheer up Naruto. That's when Kushina realized Naruto was still holding her hand and his head was still hung down low.

"Hey, Naruto," Kushina said with a gentle nudge, "what are you still doing standing here with your mom? Don't you want to go play with the other kids?"

Naruto looked out over the park and his face suddenly lit up. There were kids everywhere, kids his age, all of whom Naruto saw as potential friends for him. Without a second thought or word, Naruto broke free from his mother's hand and started run off to the park. Kushina was a little reluctant to let her son go, but she also realized he needed this. He needed to be with other kids, to make new friends and just have fun while he still can. Kushina walked over to a nearby bench and took a seat as she watched run off to play with the other kids. But as soon as she sat down, a couple of unexpected visitors walked behind her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Red Hot-Blooded Habanera…" Kushina quickly turned around to see two very familiar faces. "How's it going Kushina? Haven't seen you in ages."

Kushina was happy to see both of these women again after so many years. One had spiky, messy brown hair, a wild looking face, and two red fang marks on her cheeks, wearing a standard Leaf jônin vest, a ripped sleeve shirt and black ninja pants. The other woman was much more tame; she had neat dark brown hair tied in a ponytail wearing a red dress. Kushina could not help but feel surprised when she saw these familiar faces.

"Tsume, Yoshino, is that you?" Kushina asked. "I can't believe it! It's been so long!"

"No kidding," said Tsume as she walked over and sat down next to Kushina. "It was getting to be so long, I thought you would never leave your house. Seriously, I think you were spoiling the kid, coddling him for all these years."

"Oh really, Tsume," Yoshino said with a smug look on her face, "I seem to recall you balling for over an hour when your son Kiba hid in your own house and you couldn't find him…"

Tsume gritted her teeth. "Shut it, Yoshino. At least my son isn't a lazy ass who just sits around all day cloud gazing!"

A vein popped in Yoshino's head. "What did you say just say, dog breath!"

"You heard me, prune face!"

Kushina just sighed as he reminisced about the old days, with Tsume and Yoshino fighting at the drop of a kunai and Kushina had to intervene to break them up, which was odd considering Kushina was also known for having a short temper; how these three women ever managed to be one of the most dangerous all kunoichi squad in the Hidden Leaf Village was beyond anyone's guess. Kushina was so deep in thought while trying to keep order between Tsume and Yoshino, that she did not notice Naruto stumble and fall to the ground. She was so distracted, that she did not notice Naruto spot a grasshopper. Kushina was so distracted, she did not notice Naruto chase after the grasshopper into the bushes and disappear…

* * *

On the other side of the park, another group of people was on their way to the park. One of them was an elderly man, hunched over, accompanying two young ladies to the park. The old man was smiling, revealing he had some teeth missing; he also had heterochromia—one of his eyes green, the other was blue. He wore a simple, traditional dark brown Japanese jacket, a light tan gi, and a brown bandana. His name was Aki Haruken, but his family members and close friends simply called him Grampy. As for the two young girls he was escorting, they couldn't more different from each other. One of the girls had long, blonde hair, fair skin, and heterochromia—she had a light green eye and a blue eye. She was wearing a simple magenta dress and had a red clip in her hair. Her name was Midori Haruken, Aki's granddaughter. As for the other girl, she had short dark blue hair cut in hime-style with chin-length strands framing her face, fair skin, and lavender-gray tinted white eyes. She was wearing a pink kimono with flowers decorating it. Her name was Hinata Hyuga, a member of the illustrious Hyuga clan.

"Thanks a lot for taking us to the park, Grampy," Midori said as she twirled around her grandpa.

"Oh, it's no problem at all, Midori," Aki said as he smiled at his granddaughter's energy, "you two have been cooped up in that house for far too long. You needed to get out and play with kids your own age. The park is the best place to do that."

"I'm so excited!" Midori exclaimed as she ran next to Hinata. "I can't wait to make some new friends, can you Hichan?"

"Uh, y-yeah," Hinata said, timidly.

Midori smiled as Hinata put her fingers together like a little tent. It was something she did whenever she was nervous, which was usually all of the time. Aki couldn't but laugh as he watched the two girls walk together, side by side. They were such polar opposites; it was hard to believe they were so close. Midori was outgoing, free spirited, hyperactive, loud, and very bold. Where as Hinata was normally shy, timid, unsure about herself, and very quiet. Hinata's clan was well known for its confidence, so whenever someone saw Hinata, they wondered if she was even a member of the Hyuga clan. And while it was also true that Midori and Hinata were very different, they were always seen together no matter the circumstances.

"Oh, I can't wait to get to the park!" Midori said in a burst of excitement. "I'm going to slide down the slide! Swing of the swings! Spin on the merry-go-round!" Midori kept going down her list of things she was going to do once they arrived at the park while Hinata remained quiet, listening to Midori go on and on.

Eventually, the three of them arrived at the park. Hinata had to cover her ears when Midori let out an ear-piercing squeal of excitement when she saw the place.

"Grandpa, look it, look it! So many people! Come on, Hichan, let's go!" Midori raced down the park while Hinata stayed back for a little while.

Aki looked down at the young heiress of the Hyuga clan. He could not help but think about how unique Hinata was among the rest of the Hyuga clan. She always had trouble making friends with other people; that was part of the reason he brought to the park with his granddaughter. Hopefully, Hinata would make some new friends here. But it looked like Hinata was having some trouble taking that first step, so he decided she just needed the right motivation…

"Oh, my back!" Aki cried, startling Hinata. The old man was now on the ground, both his hands on his back like he was in extreme pain.

Hinata gasped. "G-Grandpa Aki, are you okay? What happened?"

"Oh…Hinata, I think my back went out. I can't even move. You need to go get help. Hurry! Go down there and find someone to help me! And hurry, please…oh, the pain."

"D-Don't worry, I-I'll go find someone right now. Oh dear, this bad…"

Hinata then ran off down the hill towards the park to find an adult who would be able to help. Aki smiled as he watched his little ploy work perfectly; Hinata was always shy around new people, but she never seemed to hesitate when some one was in trouble and that was always the perfect motivator to get her moving.

_Worked like a charm,_ Aki thought as he stood back up, perfectly fine. _Now, to sit back and see what happens…_ He knew Hinata was a smart girl; no doubt she would figure out he was faking by the time she reached the bottom of the hill.

Hinata was still running down the hill, when she suddenly tripped and started to roll. She eventually stopped at a patch of bushes, where she got up and looked up at herself; her kimono was absolutely filthy. Hinata began to brush herself off, when she heard a strange rustling noise coming from the bushes and froze. Hinata was scared because when bushes were rustling that usually meant a wild animal was hiding in them. Hinata tried to move away, but her feet felt like they could not move. The rustling kept getting louder and louder; soon, Hinata could hear something groaning and she became terrified because it sounded like a giant ferocious beast. But then, the rustling stopped for a moment and Hinata moved in a little closer. Suddenly, something…or rather someone…popped out from the bushes, shocking Hinata.

What had popped out of the bushes was not an animal; it was a person—a young boy to be precise. At that moment, Hinata felt something well up inside of her, but it was not fear she felt. It was a like a heat was gathering in her cheeks as she stared at this mysterious boy. He had spiky, blonde hair and sparkling cerulean eyes; Hinata could not explain it—she wanted to look away and yet she found she could not. As she continued to stare, Hinata realized that her cheeks were getting warmer and warmer. There was something about this boy that made her feel…something.

As for Naruto, he was curious about the strange person in front of him. He did not know who she was or why she was so quiet, so he decided he would have to break the ice and get her talking. So, he pulled himself out of the bushes, brushed himself off, and spoke to the strange girl…

"Hi, my name's Naruto, what's your name?" Naruto said bluntly.

Hinata was in a daze for a few seconds before she said something. "H-Hello, m-m-my name is…is…" Hinata wanted to say her name, but she found she could not; no matter how hard she tried, the words just wouldn't come out. Just when it looked like she would not be able to say anything, a certain energetic girl came to her rescue…

"Hichan! There you are!" Midori said as she walked up to both of them, waving her arms wildly in the air as if she was trying to get their attention. "I was wondering where you were. You sure took your sweet time getting down here. I've already made several new friends…"

Naruto began to feel left out and finally coughed to get the new girl to notice.

"Huh, oh hello there, I didn't see you," Midori said.

_I was standing right next to you, how could you not notice me?_ Naruto thought, a little annoyed at being ignored.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, little porcupine head…"

Naruto nearly fell over when he heard Midori's nickname for him.

"My name's not porcupine head! It's Naruto! Naruto Namikaze!" Naruto screamed.

Hinata gasped. Namikaze was the surname of the current Hokage; that meant that this boy was…

"Hmmm, you don't like a Naruto to me," Midori said as she scratched her chin. "Ruchan sounds much better!"

This time, Naruto fell onto the ground. "That's not any better either!"

"Well, too bad, I'm going to call you Ruchan from now on. Well, I'm going to go play; you have fun Hichan and don't get too nervous around Ruchan!"

"It's Naruto, Naruto!" Naruto yelled as Midori ran off. "Man, what is that girl's problem…anyways, what's your real name?" Naruto turned to Hinata. "It can't be Hichan…"

"O-Oh, i-i-i-it's Hinata H-Hyuga," Hinata said rather softly.

"Hinata, huh? That's a very pretty name," Naruto said with a huge grin.

Hinata quickly felt her cheeks get even warmer. Before she knew what she was doing, she had her fingers together in a sort of tent and she could explain why.

"Hey, do want to go play on the swings?" Naruto said, breaking Hinata out of her trance.

"Uh, um, o-okay…" Hinata said.

"Great, let's go!" Naruto reached out and grabbed Hinata's hand, which made the poor girl feel warmer.

* * *

Kushina was having a wonderful time catching up with her old friends. She had to admit, she liked spending time with Yoshino and Tsume; it reminded her of her time as a young ninja, going off on all sorts of adventures…and how she usually got her team in trouble as a result of her recklessness. She was just glad to have such wonderful friends to talk too and she had to admit it was good that she got to see them.

"You know, Yoshino, this isn't fair," Tsume, said, "we've been talking this whole and haven't given Kushina the chance to say anything."

"Good point," Yoshino said, "so, Kushina, what exactly have you been up to these past few years."

"Well, I've mainly been looking after Naruto…" Kushina said.

"For four years!" Tsume said, astonished, "Geez, Kushina, that's why god invented babysitters. You could've found someone to watch Naruto…"

"Tsume, you do not want to finish that sentence," Yoshino said.

Tsume quickly remembered what happened the first time Kushina used a new babysitter when Naruto a little over two years old; she was an elderly villager who was supposed to be trustworthy. But when Kushina returned home that same night, she found Naruto gagging on the floor with the babysitter standing over him, holding a bottle of poison, saying, "Die, you demonic spawn! Go back to hell where you belong!" That day, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanera was reborn for a split second.

The strangest part of that day, however, was that Naruto was perfectly fine. When Kushina rushed him to the hospital, the doctors said that the poison had not affected him at all; what's more, Naruto did not seem to remember the babysitter had hurt him. But that did not matter to Kushina; on that day, she swore to never let another stranger near her child ever again—at least, not with any complete strangers. Once Tsume realized her mistake, she decided she needed to change topic.

"Uh, so, where is that little tyke of yours anyway?" Tsume asked as she scanned the park.

Kushina instantly perked up. "Oh, he's right over…" Kushina looked, but could not see Naruto anywhere. "What the…? Where is he? Naruto, where are you dear? NARUTO?"

Kushina quickly stood up and began a frantic search for Naruto.

"Oh great," Yoshino said, annoyed, "You see what you did Tsume? Now you've gone and worried Kushina to death."

"Oh right, like this is all my fault," Tsume retorted, shaking her head, "come on, we better give her a hand before she has a heart attack…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was having a wonderful time with Hinata as they both swung of the swings.

"This is great, isn't it Hinata?" Naruto said as he swung.

"Uh-huh…"Hinata said softly, nodding.

"Hey, I wonder how high I can go on this thing," Naruto said. He then began to swing harder and harder, going higher and higher.

Hinata watched as Naruto continued to swing higher and higher…until he went too high and flew right off his swing.

Naruto screamed as he flew through the air before falling down to the ground towards another kid that was walking by at the same time. Naruto knocked his head against the other kid before he fell to the ground. Hinata quickly stopped swinging and ran over to make sure he was okay. Naruto groaned as he rubbed his head and got up; he then looked over to the other kid to make sure he was all right.

"Oh, my head," Naruto said, "Hey, you okay, kid?"

The other groaned as he rubbed his head. "I think so…man, what is that head of yours made of, iron?"

Hinata walked to Naruto and was relieved to find that he was okay. She then looked at the other kid and was surprised when she saw his clan symbol on his shirt: a red and white fan with a golden sun behind it, the symbol of the Uchiha clan. Hinata did not know what to do; her father had told her never to speak with any member of the Uchiha clan, that they were not worthy of speaking to her. When the young Uchiha boy stopped rubbing his head and looked up, he was surprised to see a member of the Hyuga clan, he was well aware of the relationship between the two clans, but he could not tell if this girl harbored any hostility. Rather than stay to find out, the boy decided it would be best if he left, when Naruto spoke.

"Hey, sorry about hitting your head," Naruto apologized as he got to his feet. "My name's Naruto Namikaze, by the way, and this is Hinata. What's your name?"

The boy was utterly shocked that this kid had no idea who he was. The Uchiha was rather infamous in the Leaf Village; it was hard for them to walk down the streets without being persecuted. But it seemed that this boy did not harbor any ill will towards the Uchiha clan.

The boy decided to take a chance. "My name is…Sasuke…Uchiha," the boy said slowly. He expected Naruto to say or do something hurtful and run away, but that was not the case.

"It's nice to meet you Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto said nonchalantly, "hey, do you want to come play with us?"

Sasuke was utterly shocked. Just this morning, he had received several harsh comments from a few villagers and their children. Most of the kids in the park had also been avoiding him like he had the plague. But now, here this boy, a boy his own age who knew his name and was asking him if he could play with him; Hinata was a little nervous about letting Sasuke play with them, but then she began to question why her father was so mistrustful of the Uchiha clan. This boy had done nothing wrong to her, so maybe they were not as bad as her father lead her to believe.

Sasuke was silent for a while, stunned to hear that someone actually asked him to play with him. Naruto was starting to become a little annoyed with Sasuke's silence and decided he needed to get his attention.

"Uh, hello, earth to Sasuke," Naruto said, waving his hand in front of the boys face, "are you in there? Hel-lo…"

"Huh, oh sorry," Sasuke said, coming back to reality, "what did you just say?"

Naruto groaned. "I said do you want to come play with us?"

"Oh, uh, sure, I guess…"

"Great, let's go! Hey, we can have a swinging contest. I bet I can go higher than you, Sasuke!"

"Oh, we'll see about that!"

Hinata did not say anything and decided to just follow Naruto's judgment. She was a tad nervous what her father might say if he ever found out she was playing with an Uchiha, but for some reason, she was not as worried as she thought she might be.

* * *

Kushina was frantically looking around for Naruto, trying to find her boy. She could not believe she had lost sight of her son already; she began to wonder where Naruto was and if he was okay. Her mind started to swim with all sorts of brutal images of her son being beaten to death—among other things. Kushina was acting so hysterical until she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Kushina, calm down," Tsume said, bringing her old friend out of her trance.

"Oh, Tsume, I should've been keeping a better eye on Naruto," Kushina said frantically, "I should've stayed with him, I should've been watching him more closely, I should've…should've…"

"Relax Kushina," Yoshino said, "look we'll help you look for Naruto, okay? He couldn't have gotten far. I'm sure he's just fine."

"I hope you're right, Yoshino…I really do."

"Well, if you're so worried about your boy, let's start looking," Tsume said. "He should be around here somewhere; let's split up!"

Kushina nodded and Yoshino smiled, relieved to see her friend calming down. The three ladies then dispersed and began to search the park. Tsume searched over by the sandboxes while Yoshino checked over by the bushes. Kushina was checking the playground equipment and eventually reached the swings, where she stopped and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Naruto swinging back and forth on the swings, perfectly fine. She leaned against a tree as she finally calmed down; it was then that she noticed Naruto was not alone. There were three other kids with him as well, all playing on the swings with him. Kushina then saw the enormous grin on Naruto's face; she could not remember a time when she saw her son so happy before.

A little while later, Tsume and Yoshino found Kushina leaning against the tree. They walked overt to her, anxious to know is she had found Naruto; they quickly found out she had found her son. They were both relieved that Kushina had found Naruto and that he was fine.

"Well, I'll be," Tsume said, "looks like the little guy has already made some friends."

"Ah, that's sweet," Yoshino said, "he looks so happy. But I wonder who he's playing with?"

Tsume raised her nose and lightly sniffed the air. "Well, the girl is a Hyuga, no doubt about that."

Yoshino looked Tsume skeptically. "How can you tell just by smell?" she asked.

"It's that unmistakable scent of sunflowers. They have a whole grove of them growing in their backyard. As for the boy…" Tsume quickly sniffed the air again. "Uh oh, he's an Uchiha."

Yoshino was shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely…although, I think he's an Eastern Uchiha, I'm not really sure."

"That's Sasuke Uchiha, Mikoto's child. I don't think he'll be a problem…" Kushina said peacefully. She was actually glad to see Naruto and Sasuke playing together; she remembered how Mikoto wished that their kids would become good friends. Judging by the looks of things, they were off to a good start.

"Well, seeing as how this crisis has been obverted, I need to get going," Tsume said, "I left Kiba in the care of his grandparents. Hopefully, he hasn't driven them crazy."

"Oh, and I need to get going too," Yoshino said, "I'm supposed to pick up groceries for dinner tonight. I really need to get going, otherwise my son and husband are just going to sit around the house all day, doing nothing! Will be all right, Kushina, now that you've Naruto?"

Kushina smiled. "I'll be just fine; you two can go ahead…"

And with that, Tsume and Yoshino left as Kushina just continued to watch her son play with his new friends.

* * *

Naruto had nearly spent the entire day doing nothing but playing with his new friends. He was so happy he almost missed lunch. The day was going so well that Naruto just did not want it to end. But once the sun started to set, Kushina told Naruto they had to leave. Naruto groaned when his mother told him that, but perked a little when she told him they could come back another time; maybe they could even visit his new friends at their homes next time.

As Naruto walked home with his mom, he had a humongous grin on his face that made Kushina laugh a little. It was nice for her to see her son so happy; she remembered how excited Naruto was when he introduced his new friends to her. She was a little shocked when she met Hinata—she did not realize she was the daughter of the Hyuga clan leader.

"Mom, today was amazing," Naruto exclaimed as he jumped a little off the ground.

"Really, how so, Naruto?" Kushina asked.

"Cause, I made some new friends," Naruto replied happily, "I can't wait to play with them again! When can I play with them again, mom? Can I play with them tomorrow? Huh, can I, can I?"

"I'm not sure Naruto," Kushina said, making Naruto feel a little downtrodden, "It would be a tad rude if we just dropped in on them unannounced. But don't worry, you'll see them again soon enough, you just have to be patient…"

"All right…" Naruto groaned.

Kushina was sorry to see Naruto look like this, but she hoped he at least understood. Unfortunately, that was not the case; as the two of them continued walking down the street, Naruto secretly planned an escape for tomorrow morning. His ultimate plan: sneak out and go see Sasuke and Hinata again, no matter what! He knew he had promised his mother never to it again, but Naruto was determined to see his new friends again.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Unexpected Meetings**_

_Naruto is determined to see his new friends again and thus sets out on a trek to explore the Leaf Village and find the homes of both Hinata and Sasuke so he can play with them again. There is just one problem: Naruto has no idea where he is going! As a result, Naruto winds up running into some new faces as he travels around the Leaf Village. Will these new people turn out to be more potential friends or are they just as mistrustful of him as the adults?_

Word Count: 7343

**Author's Notes****: **Okay, this one turned much longer than I had originally anticipated. But still, I managed to get it done. I hope you all enjoy reading this newest chapter of my fanfic.

Some of you may be wondering why I took so long with this chapter. Truth was, I just hard time getting motivated, which seems to be a chronic problem for me. I hope you can forgive me for taking so long in writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading as well.

And as for the relationship between Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke…well, that's just something you're going have to wait and see. I don't plan on making any couples too obvious too soon.

Sorry I don't have more to say on this chapter; I've just a few things going on right now that I need to focus on.

**Trivia**

The character Midori and her grandfather belong to a special clan called the Haruken clan, whose clan name means, "spring fist." They serve a special purpose with the Hyuga clan, which will be revealed in later chapters.

The Uchiha also has a unique status, but that will also be revealed in later chapters. I hope this tantalizes your appetites for more, my readers.


End file.
